


Past Hauntings

by FairyRose95



Category: Final Fantasy VII, Silent Hill (Video Game Series)
Genre: Angst, Blood and Gore, Crossover, Dark, Gen, Horror, Minor Character Death, Past Child Abuse, Past Rape/Non-con, Poor Cid, Psychological Horror, Really poor everyone, Suspense
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2017-04-30
Updated: 2018-08-02
Packaged: 2018-10-25 16:33:32
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 6
Words: 8,704
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/10768164
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/FairyRose95/pseuds/FairyRose95
Summary: Ever wonder why we don't know anything about Cid Highwind's childhood? Where he grew up, who his parents were? Well... we and all of AVALANCHE are all about to find out why.May be revised because this author sucks at summaries.





	1. Beginning

It had been a normal day for them, at least, normal for their standards so to speak.   
  
The kids were running around in the closed bar, chased after a crazed ninja on the loose. A large red dog lay underneath one of the diner tables, watching the rampant kids with it's one good eye. A robotic cat lay immobilized atop said table, it's bearded owner sipping lazily on a cup of tea quirking an eyebrow at the three blurs of black and brown. One chocobo-headed male stood behind the bar, watching with cool vibrant blue eyes as the last occupant stood stiffly in the corner of the room, glaring any who dared near him with his unnerving red eyes. Throughout all of this, warm chatter and pleasant smelling food wafted from the kitchen, followed by a loud grunt of anger and two sets of feminine laughter filling the air, giving the place a warm, crazy, ethereal home to a mismatched group of friends.   
  
"Food's ready!" Tifa popped her head out of the small window, a warm smile lighting her face at the sight of them all. Another head popped out as well, golden eyes twinkling in mischief, "Better come 'n' get some before Barret gets to it." Beth called to them, causing the three children to come to a halt in the middle of the room. The one at the end though appeared to have less grace than any of them and began to pinwheel her arms in hopes of gaining her balance, "W-WOAH!"   
  
The room echoed in laughter as the girl huffed in indignance, blowing a stray hair out of her face as she sat sprawled on the floor. " _Guys!_ " She whined, "It isn't funny!"   
  
"And you call yourself a ninja." Reeve chuckled behind his cup of tea, hiding his smirk from the young girl who threw daggers at his direction.   
  
Yuffie huffed, "Well I'll have you know that I am the Greatest Ninj-"   
  
"OOO! This food is  _so_  damn good!" Barret called from the kitchen, guffawing in laughter as three sets of feet ran for the doorway and the kitchen then became a cacophony of sounds. Cloud began to follow Nanaki and Reeve into the kitchen only to glance over at the last remaining occupant in the room, "Not coming, Vincent?"   
  
He only received a grunt in reply so he merely shrugged and followed the rest into the kitchen. Vincent looked over at the archway, silently enjoying the sounds of his friend's laughter filling the air; yet, it wasn't complete. There was no smoke wafting around the room, no loud guffaws to meet Barret's, no loud slurred curses all lilted in that typical southern accent.   
  
That made one simple question appear in his mind that he had been asking himself since he arrived early this afternoon.   
  
Where exactly was the Chief?  
  
***  
  
It was late that evening. All the children had already gone to sleep (Yuffie included) and most of the rest had at least retired to their designated rooms. That left only three in the bar.   
  
The three were primarily silent in the large area. Vincent had never wavered from his spot, only now just turned slightly to look out the window at the sleeping town. Cloud was leaning against the bar, elbows rested on the counter-top as he lazily swirled his glass of whisky in his hands. Beth sat on one of the many bar-stools, one leg propped on a bar-stool with her arm resting atop it, her hand pressing the small PHS to her ear. A small curse emitted from her lips.  
  
"Damn it." She snapped the phone shut and set it atop the counter, "He didn't answer."   
  
"That's strange." Cloud mused monotonously and took a small sip of his amber drink, "Usually he'd let us know he isn't coming."   
  
Vincent grunted in reply.   
  
"Maybe he's running some shipments on the  _Shera_ ," Beth shrugged, "Usually there's not that great of service over the Nibel Mountains."   
  
"That's right." Cloud snapped his fingers in acknowledgement, "I remember Reeve mentioning something about the  _Shera_ earlier this week."   
  
"Have you tried Ms. Shera's?" Vincent asked in his deep gravelly voice, one that many can tell hadn't been used all that long. Beth nodded, "Yeah. She didn't answer either."   
  
"Do either of you know his route?" The two by the bar exchanged looks before Cloud spoke, "If I recall correctly, Reeve said he was headed towards Icicle Inn."   
  
Beth hopped off the stool and over the counter, causing both of her comrades to raise eyebrows at her as she vanished underneath. They realized though what she was doing when she appeared once more, holding an old piece of parchment. "Okay." She fans out the paper and begins to map out the route only to stop, a confused hum emitting from her mouth. Vincent raised an eyebrow and was about to ask what has her so confused, but Cloud beat him to it.   
  
Beth looked up to the two, back down towards the map, and back up at the two, "How old is this map?"   
  
"Uh..." Cloud's eyes glazed over as they could practically see the cogs working inside his brain, "Five-six years?"   
  
Another confused hum escaped her again as she peered down at the map, "I've looked at this very map thousands of times, and never once had I seen this."   
  
Now that got Vincent's attention, and he and Cloud both wandered towards the doctor. Cloud peeked over her shoulder as Vincent did so over the counter, both looking at the two words that Beth's small finger was shakily pointing towards. Vincent ripped the map out of her grasp, No. NO.   
  
"Vince...?" 

If Chief's there... who knows what'll happen.   
  
Who knows if he'd even come back alive.  
  
"Vincent."   
  
How long had it been? Forty years? Forty or so years since he's stepped foot in that retched place. Never had he thought he'd go back.   
  
"Vin!"   
  
And now Cid may be there. Vincent tried to squash that absurd idea... but he  _knew_ that's where he was. The chills up and down his back testified to that. The two words were dancing in front of Vincent's eyes, as if taunting him into believing it.  
  
A heavy weight on his shoulder snapped him back to reality and he looked up to a pair of confused golden orbs, "Vin...?" Beth whispered. He looked down at the map and let out a shuddering breath, "What is it?"   
  
"This... place..." Vincent began to explain, "I've been there before."   
  
He glared at the two words. Oh how much he loathed this place.    
  
***  
  
They left early that morning, much to Vincent's dismay. He wanted to leave immediately, knowing what horrors await them in that town, but Beth and Cloud were adamant. They needed to let the others know where they were going and also needed a good nights sleep for what awaits them.   
  
They took a ferry from Kalm to Bone Village, seeing as Cid's destination was on another continent. It would have been much easier if they could've flown there... but their pilot was missing. He could be dead for all they knew.   
  
So that's how they ended up here. Cloud riding Fenrir in front with Beth in the passenger seat of her jeep asleep. Vincent sat in the back, looking out at the flurries of snow flying past. Of course he would have driven, but-  
  
"I hope Cid's okay." Tifa whispered behind the driver's seat. The barmaid was adamant on going with them to the town against all's wishes. She had a point though. If what was true about the town, they needed as many people as they can, yet at the same time, going to this town was a death sentence. Even if you came back alive, nightmares haunt you for the rest of your life. Vincent knew that well. He had nightmares before Hojo's experiments after all.   
  
Vincent merely grunted in reply, knowing the ex-doctor was asleep in the passenger seat. While they said they were going to get good nights sleep, Beth hardly got any. She never spoke as to why, but the bags under her eyes and the fear held within them spoke immediately to Vincent. She had had a nightmare too.   
  
His ears perked at the sound of hitched breathing in front of him and he averted his eyes from the window to the rousing female in front of him. Beth woke with a start, taking a sharp intake of breath as she whipped her head around the car. Tifa looked over in slight fright, "Beth? Are you okay?"   
  
She never responded, just continued looking out the front window as if she saw something. Something in the flurries of snow. She clutched onto the armrest. "We need to hurry." She whispered softly. Tifa raised an eyebrow as did Vincent, and as Tifa opened her mouth to reply, an ear-piercing screech filled the jeep, "TIFA, LOOK OUT!"   
  
Tifa's eyes shifted towards the front just as a figure walked in front. It was a male, bulky, dirty blond hair. If Vincent knew any better it was the very man they were looking for, but his clothes were off. He didn't have time to look as Tifa jerked the wheel suddenly and the screech of brakes filled the air.   
  
Vincent saw Beth fly into the front windshield and shatter it, the lithe female flying out of the car from the impact. Tifa rammed her head against the steering wheel just as his head rammed against the side of the window.  
  
Then everything turned black.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Had this saved on my computer for a while yet I never posted it. This is something I've written a while back, loving both Final Fantasy 7 and Silent Hill. I've always wanted more FF7/SH crossovers so I decided to write one myself. XD Hopefully this is pretty different than the rest, I dunno, but I hope you like it!  
> Please leave a comment and let me know if there's anything I need to improve upon!


	2. Welcome

Beth awoke with a dull pain shooting up and down her left arm and the sight of small snow flurries drifting onto the asphalt.  
  
With a hiss, she attempted to sit up only for that same pain to multiply as she put pressure on it. She realized then that she couldn't move her left arm at all. Great.   
  
Clumsily she used her right to sit up straight, looking around for the rest of her companions. In front of her was Fenrir but no sign of Cloud anywhere. She didn't even have to look behind her to see who it was.   
  
Two sets of footsteps were running towards her.   
  
"Ohmygod, Beth! Are you okay?" Tifa frantically asked as she knelt in front of the other female. Beth nodded slowly but hissed as Tifa set her hand atop her left shoulder. "I think I dislocated my arm." She hissed through her teeth.   
  
Tifa immediately retracted her head, and instead went and pulled out a little piece of glass that was embedded in Beth's forehead. Beth hissed slightly and looked at the barmaid, "I need you to set it back."  
  
Tifa raised an eyebrow, "W-what?"   
  
"My arm," Beth gestured towards it, "I can't very well do it myself."  
  
"But Beth-"   
  
Before Tifa could even finish, Vincent had come up behind Beth and with a quick snap, set the shoulder back in place. Beth let out a high yelp, seeing stars appear in her vision. It was short-lived though as the pain subsided, and Beth could freely move her arm once more. "Thanks... a little heads up next time would be nice."   
  
Vincent let out a tiny snort before walking past the two, heading over to the abandoned cycle.   
  
Tifa quickly followed, yelling Cloud's name as she went and Beth slowly stood and took a look at her surroundings. She turned around to see her jeep off the side of the road. It was driveable and actually had no dents from anything. The only thing wrong with it was the large gaping hole where the windshield used to be. She turned to look where her friends went. It was a one way road, with a dense fog ahead nearly consuming Vincent and Tifa in it. Further down there was a large and looming shape overhead. If Beth knew any better it look an awful lot like...  
  
Beth began to run down the street, passing the two as she made her way to the abandoned airship and stopped short.   
  
_The Shera_  lay abandoned in the middle of the street, her windows all busted out and large dents littered the belly of the ship. "Cid!" Beth called out as she hopped into the main deck of  _the Shera,_ bypassing shards of glass and puddles of blood...  _blood._  
  
"CID!" She called out, but was met with nothing, "SHERA!"   
  
She made it to the main console and stopped when she heard a hitch of breath to the left of her. She whipped around and looked to only find nothing. It was only when she began to look down did she find a massive puddle of blood... a puddle of blood staining a familiar white lab coat. Beth immediately knelt, "Shera."   
  
The woman was horribly injured. Her glasses were busted, hair astray, with sweat and blood coating her face as well. Blood stained the whole upper torso of the female and Beth could see the scientist was trying to hold her insides in. The doctor chased any thoughts away and immediately set to work on Shera, lightly moving the female's hand and replacing it with her own, channeling all her energy into curing the woman.   
  
She could hear Tifa yelling and Cloud's slow responses. She heard three sets of footsteps near her but she was too engrossed with the task at hand. Cloud stayed nearby as Tifa gasped and had to leave the area for a second. Vincent set about looking for any clues that may be of some use. Like as to what happened here.   
  
"Shera." Bethany whispered, straining all of her magical energy into the female, "What happened?"   
  
Shera coughed, blood pouring out of the corners of her mouth and onto her coat. Beth would've wiped away the tears that were forming in the woman's eyes but she was too preoccupied in saving her. "S-Sh..ip.. C-Crash...ed" Shera began to whisper, light coughs emitting in between but she continued, "M-Monsters..... k-kil...led... crew... Cid...."   
  
"Cid?" Cloud asked from above, wishing he had brought his cure materia as well, "Where is he?"   
  
"I-I..."  
  
"Shera..." Beth said softly, "Who did this to you?" The engineer's eyes widened and Cloud's as well, the man thinking that Shera's wound had come from the ship crash. But Beth had seen the wound. It was too clean to be from a wreckage, too much thought and skill was put into this fatal wound on the poor woman. Shera's breathing hitched as more blood came from her lungs, making Beth's pressure on her gaping wound increase. "C..."   
  
Beth and Cloud exchanged looks but Shera's eyes were widening, and her last words shell-shocked them.   
  
"C-Cid.....Cid.... did.... this..."   
  
***  
  
"Shera?! SHERA!"   
  
"Beth." Cloud grabbed the female and hoisted her up on her feet. Beth shook her head and reached down for her fallen comrade, but the ex-SOLDIER held her back, "No, Cloud! We have to save her!"   
  
"And what? There's nothing we can do." Cloud snapped, struggling with the mako-induced female. She was thrashing in his arms, trying in vain to get to Shera, "W-why not a Phoenix down? Then we can use our elixirs, and I still have my-"   
  
"Look at her!" Cloud snapped, forcing Beth to look at the scientist. "There's nothing we can do."   
  
Beth looked down at Shera's limp body; her face an ashen gray, blood had already began to dry around her mouth and form a large puddle atop her torso... her intestines lay outside of her body in a lump atop the metallic floor.  
  
Beth didn't want to think about it. Flashes of stray white feathers filled her vision and a lump caught in her throat.  _Just like him... I couldn't save her._ Her vision blurred as tears threatened to fall, _Can I not save anyone?_  
  
The female shrugged Cloud's hand off but the ex-SOLDIER tightened his hold, "I'm fine." Beth snapped and yanked her arm out of his grasp, bypassing her other two friends who had come at the sound of their bickering. Beth could feel Tifa's stares lingering on her blood-stained hands and they clenched together in reply, "Let's go." She murmured and hopped off the ship, breathing the air out here to cool her rising temper. She wasn't necessarily mad at Cloud as the man did have a point, but the anger she has held against herself for so long just exemplified watching her best friend's wife die right in front of her eyes. And just like him, she couldn't do a thing about it.   
  
She sighed and for the first time took a good look at the road in front of her. A flash of red caused her eyebrows to quirk together and she turned to take a good look at the ship. The side of the ship was stained a crimson red and from here she can smell the metallic stench of blood waft in her nostrils. Beth's eyes followed the trail and saw as it continued down the road only to disappear in the dense fog that had only shown up when they were in that wreck. It looked as if someone had dragged them-self away from the ship. Either that or someone had dragged  _them_...  
  
She heard three sets of feet land on the asphalt behind her and she doesn't even bother to acknowledge but merely just begins to follow the trail of blood further down the road. Behind her, she can hear Cloud talk to Tifa about what Shera had said but Bethany paid him no mind, because she knows that it wasn't true.   
  
Cid wouldn't do that. Not to his own wife. Not to anyone he loves. He has a rough exterior sure, but he has a soft heart underneath... as much as he wants to deny  _that_.   
  
But Beth does agree that something is wrong with this whole situation. Not only has all of Cid's crew been slaughtered, but Cid himself was missing, Shera's dead, and this road seemingly isn't ending and this fog isn't letting up anytime soon.  
  
The blood trail hadn't ended, but something caught her eye to the right of her. She stopped and the rest of her group had as well, all looking up at the same thing. Beth couldn't explain it even if she tried. Chills went down her arms, shivers down her spine, hairs stood on end... all from a damn sign.   
  
It wasn't the foreboding feeling from it, oh no. But it was the sense of familiarity she was feeling as she looked up at the sign.   
  
**_Welcome to Silent Hill._**

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Poor Shera!   
> I felt really bad killing in her in this story, but to be honest, her death in this goes along better with the way I'm planning my story to go.   
> So, I'm sorry Shera!! :'(


	3. Ash

The walk into town was quiet, everyone in their own thoughts to start any form of conversation. Everyone's thoughts surrounded the same topic.   
  
Cid killed Shera.   
  
At least, according to the fallen scientist, he was the perpetrator. But was he really the one who attacked her? Or did her fear override her senses and she just  _thought_ it was the pilot?   
  
Nobody knew. Cloud was actually considering the idea that their beloved captain had gone mad and killed his own wife. Tifa was borderline, not knowing who to believe or, better yet,  _what_. Vincent and Beth... well... they were inclined to believe that this town is what had done it. Not Cid.  
  
Vincent looked up at the cloudy sky, quirking his eyebrows up at the snow falling down upon the four. He set his gloved hand out to let a small flake land atop the leather, watching as it slightly smeared amongst the black.   
  
"Ash."   
  
The ex-Turk snapped out of his reverie to look at his closest friend, who happened to be smearing a small snowflake between her blood-stained fingers. "It's ash." Beth repeated.   
  
He turned to his own small flake and smeared it, watching the slight gray appear on his black glove. She was right.   
  
"Ash?" Tifa turned and gawked at the ex-doctor, "Are you sure?"   
  
"See for yourself." Beth all but replied as she continued following the trail of red, letting her friends decide whether they should follow her or not.   
  
Cloud and Tifa exchanged glances and began to follow Beth, but Vincent was still fixated on the small speck of gray.  _Why ash?_ he thought, his eyes widening in realization,  _maybe..._    
  
"Vince!" He snapped his head up to look at the auburn, who was half-shrouded by the impending fog, "Ya coming?"   
  
He grunted and began to walk towards the three, letting the thoughts of ash be put on the backburner.  _Right now..._ he watched as Tifa and Cloud conversed, his fellow lab-rat taking the lead,  _we need to find the Chief._  
  
His claw clenched in resolution as his gait began to become more determined. Because he wouldn't let another person he cared about die. Thoughts of his past were brought forth and his teeth clenched, thinking about smoke and tea to calm his nerves. No. Cid wouldn't die.  
  
Not on his watch.  
  
***  
  
The walk was once again silent after the realization that the snow was actually ash. Beth quirked her eyebrows together as she continued to lead the way. Why ash? Why was it falling from the  _sky_? What was wrong with this place?  
  
Out of the blue she began to get hot in the cold weather. Sweat trickled down her neck and her breathing began to become labored. Fire appeared in front of her and the smell of smoke threatened to choke her.  
  
She heard the wails of despair and pain through the fire. The cries of a little girl. The cries of justice.   
  
The cries of a baby.   
  
She thought she would die from the suffocation when a hand shot out and grasped her arm in a vice grip.  _"Bethany!"_  A little girl's voice screamed through the fire, _"Bethany!"_  
  
"Beth!" Beth snapped her head up to look into sky blue orbs. For a second she thought she saw curling smoke, grizzled chin, and scowling features. It was all replaced though with the small feminine face of their leader.  
  
"You alright?" Cloud asked and she blinked and looked at him and the two behind him. They all were giving her curious looks. What happened?   
  
"You just collapsed in front of us," Cloud began to explain, "Your skin was clammy and it looked like you were having trouble breathing."    
  
"Your eyes were clouded over too." Tifa added in and Vincent interjected, "What did you see?"   
  
Tifa and Cloud looked at him but he paid no mind, keeping his red eyes on the female on her knees, "I..." Beth gulped, tears threatening to come forth but she pushed them down, "I don't know."  
  
In all honesty, she really didn't. She didn't know what that was. That had never happened to her before and honestly it was a little unsettling. Vincent didn't seem content with that answer and Beth elaborated, "Just... fire. Fire and smoke."  
  
She looked towards the rest and then back to Vincent, "Fire and screams."   
  
"Screams?" Tifa echoed. Vincent seemed troubled by her answer but didn't show it. Unless you knew to look in his eyes that is, Beth had learned that trick back from their first adventure. You can always tell a person's true feelings in their eyes, and sadly for Vincent, that's all he ever does. And right now it was swirling with confusion and sadness.   
  
She didn't have time to look further as the ex-Turk grunted and with a swish of his cape, continued on toward the blood-soaked trail.   
  
Beth shook her head and shakily stood on her feet. What was that though? Was that a memory?   
  
Or just this town getting to her?


	4. Monster

"So... can we take one?" 

"I guess... I mean, we can leave some Gil for the-" 

"Gil is not the form of currency here, Cloud." 

"Oh, and how would you know... Vincent?" Cloud snapped, glaring accusatory daggers into the ex-Turk. Vincent merely raised an eyebrow before nodding over towards the stand they were currently hovering over, "If you look at the open register, you'll see green bills, Cloud. Not gil." 

Beth and Tifa merely watched the two, seeing the underlying tension that would undoubtedly burst forth in short time. It had always been there; silent and deadly even from their times hunting Sephiroth. 

The ex-doctor sighed and swiped a map off the table, breaking up the staring contest between the two men before it got too heated, "Whatever. Not like anyone's here to chop our hand off or anything."

Before they left, Cloud grabbed another one too, just for a case of emergency before joining the group. 

"Well... from the looks of it we're on... Midway Avenue." Beth stated as she looked at her surroundings, back to her map, then to the trail of blood. The trail of blood that turned into bloody footprints about half a mile ago, "And the footprints lead off to... Industry Drive."

"Alright then." Cloud cracked his knuckles before marching on, "Let's mosey." 

***

"Of fucking course." Beth sighed through her nose as she looked up at the building, "Cid would go to a damn bar instead of a hospital." Or, actually, a tavern as the sign says over the front door. But really, in Beth's words, potato patato. 

"You know Cid." Tifa sighed as well as the group made their way to the door, "Always booze before health." 

"And smokes." Beth added and grinned slightly at the thought of their beloved pilot. She swung open the door to the tavern only to find... nothing. 

Absolutely nothing. 

"Cid?" Cloud called out as they entered the abandoned tavern, bypassing knocked over chairs and tables as they congregated at the center, "Cid!" 

"He's not here." Beth stated as she looked around the place, following the footprints as they led off to behind the bar. She stopped short as something on the ground caught her eye. 

"Beth?" 

She stooped and picked up the object, feeling the thick crimson liquid coating said object, smelling the metallic stench wafting strongly from it. "But he was here." She stood and the others eyes landed on the object she held in her hand. 

Goggles. A pair of goggles the pilot would rather die than not have it around his neck. 

She turned it over to see the inside of the band and saw C. Highwind stitched in blue thread.  

Beth wiped the blood of the goggles and put it in her backpocket. When they find Cid, she'll give this back to him, because lord only knows he's probably raising all kinds of hell right now knowing he doesn't have his trusty flight goggles. 

Vincent, after watching the auburn wipe the blood of the Chief's goggles, turned to scope the rest of the area out. The blood trail stopped where Beth was, meaning the Chief either wiped his boots off of crimson or... 

No. The ex- Turk veered his eyes and walked towards the bar and hopped over to take a look at the piece of parchment hanging up on the wall. It was a map of Silent Hill, like the ones they picked up a little while ago. He took it off the wall and grunted as he saw the drying blood on it. He continued to look as he saw where one bloody fingerprint lay. Oh no...

All of a sudden, a loud screech filled the air, making everyone jump at the sound. Tifa whirled around and glared at a small handheld radio, picking up the culprit and lightly shaking it to try and stop the static. "Stupid thing." 

"What the fuck?!" Beth began to cough horribly as she stumbled backwards into Vincent, trying to get away from whatever just spewed out smoke. 

"Get back!" Vincent roared as a gunshot rang through the tavern. Beth peeked open her eyes through the smoke and saw an outline of some... armless... figure. It began to move in a strange fashion, twitching as its torso would move about as if it were struggling to get out of a straight jacket. As the smoke receded, more of its details began to emerge. It was a smokey gray color with thin legs. It had no distinct facial features except for a mouth with no lips, leaving the teeth and gums completely visible. The torso was contorted and rigid, with the outline of arms that were folded across its chest... except she could see it's lungs. The bright pink with dark gray sprawled across it... letting Beth believe her pilot friend may have similar lungs with his horrible habit. Large orange boils were sprawled throughout where its neck should have been. The shot Vincent fired seemed to do nothing but stagger the thing, as it stumbled backwards slightly before staggering it's way towards the two.

"Hey, smokey!" A bottle shattered against the monstrosity and it slightly turned to the culprit. Cloud gestured with his hand before throwing another bottle at it, "Over here!" 

"Cloud! What are you doing?!" Tifa chastised as she backed away from the monster, knowing she would do no good in this fight. 

"Getting it away so they can get out of the corner they're in." Cloud explained as the armless figure began to stagger towards him, watching as the two gunslingers hopped over the counter to join him. Beth aimed one of her pistols and took a shot at it, watching it slightly quiver but not let up. 

"You think it has a weakspot?" Cloud asked as he got his sword ready. Beth was about to answer when a gauntlet pushed her backwards, "Cloud. Let it get close to you." 

"Excuse me?" Cloud sputtered but Vincent urged, "Just do it." 

The leader of the group sighed and nodded, warily watching the thing as it hobbled even closer. Once it was a few feet away from the ex-SOLDIER, it's ribcage seemed to open up to reveal the smoker lungs it had underneath, "Roll out of the way!" Vincent yelled to Cloud who obliged in record time, rolling just as the smog spewed out and Vincent took a shot at it. The monster screeched and Beth aimed her pistols as well, getting in four good shots before it gave a final screech and collapsed onto the ground.

The radio suddenly went silent.

***

"What the hell was that thing?!" Tifa whispered in horror as she looked at the lump of gray flesh laying just a few feet from the two gunslingers. Vincent holstered Cerberus before stepping over the thing, "A monstrosity." 

Tifa warily looked at the ex-Turk, back to the dead creature, than back to Vincent before she sighed and walked over to Cloud. Beth holstered her twin pistols before walking over to the gunslinger, "Vin, you okay?" 

"That... creature." Vincent whispered as he grabbed the map he was looking at earlier, "I have a feeling that there is more than meets the eye with this place." 

"Well no shit." Beth scoffed and crossed her arms, "This place is a child's fucking nightmare." 

"Hn." Beth quirked her eyebrows at his answer before looking at the parchment he was holding, "Whatcha got there?" 

"A map." He responded and folded it out, setting it atop an upright table as Cloud and Tifa joined the group. Vincent pointed to the bloody fingerprint, "I think I have an idea as to where the Chief went."


	5. Father?

"The Grand Hotel?" Tifa echoed as they all looked at the bloody fingerprint pointing right at the three words. Vincent only nodded in reply before putting the map in his back pocket, "Let's go." 

Cloud muttered under his breath but complied, walking smoothly after the Turk, Tifa following there after. Beth walked to the door before pausing, turning to grab the handheld radio and running out to meet them. 

She walked towards the street and was in the midst of clipping the radio onto her jeans when she looked up to find all three of the friends were staring at her. She quirked her eyebrows but realized what they were staring at. "Apparently this thing gives off static when those... things are nearby." She explained as she was struggling with clipping it on, "Figured we'd want a heads up." Once it was securely on she pulled out her map and began to look. So it's on Simmons. If they took a left here and got back onto Midway Avenue, they could take a right onto Canyon Street then walk across Koontz to get there. Easy enough. 

She began to walk her designated route as her friends followed close behind. Her mind wandered off though. Why a hotel. Maybe just to get some rest? 

She snapped out of her reverie when they were on Midway Avenue and a dog's yelp echoed down the street. They all stopped and got into defensive positions, but all they heard was a dog's yelping and barking. It began to multiply in number, causing the group to exchange glances and head towards Canyon Street away from the noise with Beth following.

"Mommy?" 

She stood frozen in her spot and whirled around to stare into the dense fog. What the hell? 

"Mommy!" 

The dog barks were still there, the little girl's voice not at all muffled by the sounds. She turned from Canyon and began to slowly walk down Midway Avenue, towards the barking and the voice. Her friends would have missed all this if Vincent hadn't looked back just to see Beth's focused and confused look as she wandered down the street they were just on. "Bethany?" 

Cloud and Tifa looked back too and exchanged glances with Vincent, all giving a unanimous decision to follow the ex-doctor. They prepared themselves for whatever they would find, Cloud holding his sword and Vincent his gun. Tifa, with no weapon, merely walked defensively, as if anything could pop out at her at any time. 

They continued down the road, Beth's outline the only thing giving them lead. The barking began to intensify around them and Tifa so wished she could turn back, but her friend was out there. They weren't leaving her behind. 

The barking all of a sudden stopped when the group reached the doctor, who was staring transfixed at the shop before her. 

"... Beth?" Tifa asked and set a hand on her shoulder, doing nothing but slightly move the woman. Tifa looked over into the auburn's face to see the same look they saw when she collapsed in front of the group an hour ago. 

_"Mommy! Look at him! He's so cute!" the little girl cooed as she looked at the white ball of fluff in the window, the sounds of the other puppies and dogs barking inside the store._

_"He sure is sweetie." The mom chuckled and patted her little girl on the head, watching as her daughter smushed her face into the window in hopes of getting closer to the dog._

_"Can we get him?" The girl turned to give her best puppy-dog eyes up to her mother, "Pleassseeee!"_

_"Hon..." her mom reasoned but the girl kept giving her the stare. After a few minutes she sighed in defeat, "Okay. Fine." The girl squealed in delight and began to drag her mother into the store, "But you're taking care of him! Baths, Feedings, Walks. All you honey."_

_Once they walked out with their newest family member, the mom looked down at her daughter, "What are you going to name him, Beth?"_

_"..." Beth curled her little brows in confusion, only to giggle as the dog licked her face in retaliation._

_"Max." She said with a sure grin, "I wanna name him Max!"_

_The mom smile, "Max it is then, sweetie."_

"Beth?" 

The doctor snapped out of her reverie to look at the confused eyes again. 

This was becoming more and more common. 

Just as she was going to explain what she saw, something moved in her peripheral vision. She whipped her head to see a familiar head of sandy hair waver slightly before running down the street, "Hey w-wait!" She pushed past Tifa and ran after the figure, "Cid!" 

Upon hearing the name that flew out of her mouth, they bolted after her. Beth ran down the street, following the surprisingly fast Cid as he turned the corner. She turned the corner to see him staring straight at her about ten feet away, with eyes so foreign to the pilot that she stopped breathing for a second, This is not Cid. Before she can open her mouth he turns once more and runs down the street, "D-Damn it! Stop running! Just wait up!" 

She passed shops as she ran after her friend, not even caring that some of these shops seemed familiar in their own way. But it didn't matter. She is following her friend. 

After another corner is turned she stops in front of a massive building; a massive building that Cid ran into. But she didn't want to go in there. No not again. 

Alchemilla Hospital

This is why she isn't a Doctor anymore. After what Hojo and Hollander had done....  _Maybe I can go and grab Reeve and the others for help. They should still be in Edge._

"Only the Dark One opens and closes the gate to Silent Hill." 

Beth immediately whipped around at the new voice. She hadn't realized she said that aloud. The source of the voice was an older woman dressed in practically rags. She had long knappy gray hair and looked at Beth with soft eyes. Eyes so soft and yet there was a hint of sadness within them.

The ex-Doctor turned to face the woman, "My friends and I... w-we don't know what's happening." She took a step towards the old woman, who drew back when Beth made a step to her, "Do you know what's happening here?" 

The woman made no move to reply, just stayed hunched over looking at Beth. 

"My friend," Beth started to say, "I'm looking for my friend. He's been hurt... and we can't find him." 

"We've all lost ones we love." the woman said in a soft, quiet voice, "Our Light. They deceived me." 

The old woman started to walk around the auburn as she continued to listen, "Their evil. Their hate."

She stopped in front of Beth, "They hurt my child. They did terrible things to her." Tears swelled in the woman's eyes, "Alessa."

Beth fumbled for the old picture she had of the group of Avalanche in her back pocket, showing the woman a picture of the pilot.

"This is my friend, Cid." She made a step towards the old woman who flinched back, but Beth continued unfolding the picture and showing it to the old woman, "He has a horrible temper so you have to be careful, but if you see him please," She took a deep breath, "Tell him to wait for us." 

The old woman's eyes widened in realization before looking up to Beth, stepping closer, "Yes." She said in an airy tone, "He's mine."

She made a step towards Beth, trying to grab the picture, "No, get off-"

"He's mine." 

The two struggled with each other, the woman trying to grab the picture as Beth tried to get her off. 

"He's mine!" 

Beth shoved her off finally, "Get off me, lady! What the fuck do you mean he's yours?!" 

"My husband. The Father to Alessa. He's mine." 

What the... hell. 

"Beth!" She turned to see Cloud, Tifa, and Vincent. She nodded to them before looking back to the woman, "Look, I don't know who you think he is, lady. But this isn't your husband. I can guarantee that." 

She made her way towards the hospital with her friends following. When they walked inside, the woman airily breathed, "Into the fire she swallows their fate..." 


	6. Feathers

"So that lady thinks Cid is her, what, husband?"   
  
"That's what she said." Beth answered Cloud's question, looking to him then back to the waiting room they were currently standing in. "But she seems... a little squirrly."

They began to make their way towards the office when something in the waiting room caught Vincent's eye. It was an old newspaper article, one he himself remembered very clearly.   
  
"Vin?"   
  
He grunted and held a finger up, silently reading the paper laid out in front of him.   
  
 _Fire broke out in town.  
  
4 nearby establishments destroyed.   
  
Charred body of Alessa Gillespie (9) and Anthony Gillespie (4 mo.) found in aftermath.  
  
Cause of fire currently under investigation.   
  
Investigations show source as the Grand Hotel located on Simmons Street._  
  
"Oh my..." Beth breathed as she read the article over Vincent's shoulder. So young... and they had to suffer like that. "... Wait a minute." Beth moved so she was beside Vincent as she read the name on the article. "Alessa Gillespie..."   
  
"You know her?" Cloud asked but Beth shook her head. Why that made her feel guilty and wrong... she didn't know. "The woman outside. She said that was her daughter."  
  
 _"They hurt my child. They did terrible things to her." Tears swelled in the woman's eyes, " **Alessa**."_  
 _"My **husband**. The Father to Alessa.  **He's**_ _ **mine.** " _  
  
"This article says it happened in 1975."  
  
They all nodded and Beth continued, "And that woman outside vowed and declared that Cid was her husband."   
  
"Which would be impossible considering that's the year he was born." Tifa finished and Beth nodded, "Exactly."   
  
"So... her husband looks a lot like Cid?" Cloud asked, "Or she's crazy."   
  
"Probably both." Beth said as Vincent stood, heading from the waiting room and towards the examination room down the hall. The group follow him and he opens the door, immediately retracting once seeing something inside. Beth quirks her eyebrows and makes to move around him but Vincent shakes his head, seemingly almost paler than usual. "Vin... you okay?"   
  
"You..." Vincent swallowed, "You shouldn't go in there."   
  
Now her eyebrows were raised, "Why not? The way to get to the Office is through there and we could really use the master keys."   
  
"Then I'll get them." He blurted quickly, "Just..." He didn't finish as he walked in and slammed the door in Beth's face, causing her to gasp in surprise, "What the fuck..." She whispered and looked to the other two who both shrugged.   
  
She sighed and gave up, leaning against the wall with a cross of her arms as she waited for the gunman. Maybe she'll get a peek at the room when he returns. Maybe not.   
  
The radio pulled her from her thoughts as it began to emit the screeching static, making her and her two companions pull out their designated weapons and scope the area. For a long while nothing popped out, just their pitched breaths and the static being the only things filling the silence.  
  
Then they saw it.   
  
It began to round the corner closest to Beth, staggering it's way towards the trio. It reminded Beth a lot of the monster they dealt with before, twitching as if to get out of something and hobbling it's way towards them. Except... this one looked a lot more like it had on a straight jacket compared to the other one.    
  
Beth aimed her duel pistols at the creature and got in two good shots, making it stagger slightly before continuing it's course.   
  
"Back up!" Beth yelled as she began to walk backwards towards the waiting room, the creature still making its way towards them. It wasn't the same as the last one, so assuming it'll open up it's chest to spew smoke was out of the question.  
  
It did indeed spew something as before Beth knew it, a stream of black goo began to make it's way towards her. She barely missed it as she juked sideways to avoid the liquid, but some still managed to make it's way onto the sleeve of her jacket. It began to sizzle, making Beth hiss as she began to do a dance to get the jacket off. With Beth's focus on her jacket, she didn't even realize the monster made a running leap for her and she felt herself be pushed against the wall as Cloud grunted in frustration.   
  
"Get this thing off of me!" Cloud yelled as the monster had a vice grip on him with it's legs, seemingly more powerful than the mako-induced man as Cloud wiggled about trying to get the monster off of him but it was no use. This thing was powerful. With Cloud battling the straight jacket monster and Beth still trying to get off the burning jacket, Tifa looked around to try and find something to attack it with, realizing merely her fists wouldn't be good with the liquid it projectiled. That's when she saw it.   
  
Cloud began to lose consciousness as the monster constricted around him, crushing his lungs in the process. Black dots danced in his vision and he was about to ram it into the wall when a sickening  __ **SHTHUNK** reverberated through the room and the monster began to slacken before falling to the floor. In it's place was Tifa still with her arms up from her attack. Cloud looked to her and then to the monster, seeing a crowbar lodged into it's head. The radio went silent.  
  
"Thanks, Teef." He whispered hoarsely as he doubled over with his hands on his knees, breathing in sweet air into his lungs.   
  
"Maybe you should keep that." Cloud gestured towards the weapon with his head, standing straight and stretching his arms out slightly, "Might be handy if anymore of them show up."   
  
"Good idea." Tifa nodded and went to retrieve it, having to set her foot on the monster to get a good grip on the crowbar. She pulled it out, grimacing at the sickening squish that accompanied it, and flung the bar to get the remaining goo off of it. She looked from the bar and to Cloud, giving him a smile to which he returned.   
  
Cloud looked away from Tifa and to their other companion, "You okay? Any of it get on you?"   
  
"No. Just the jacket." Beth murmured as she looked at the article of clothing on the ground, still sizzling slightly, and sighed sadly. "I really liked that jacket."   
  
"We'll get you another. I'm just glad you're not hurt." Tifa smiled and patted Beth's arm affectionately, Beth smiling back in return.   
  
Silence reigned over the group as they waited for their last member. Time slowly went by and they were getting more and more fidgety. Beth began to think the worst as she stood there longer and longer. Is Vin hurt? Is he even there? Did somebody take him? She then decided that enough was enough and stood straight from the wall.  
  
"I'm gonna get him." Beth announced as she began to open the door, "You guys wait-"

Beth thought the wailing was her own internal alarm, ordering her to go in and find Vincent before they went to find Cid. Then it became apparent that she wasn't imagining things, that it really was sirens she was hearing. And this creepy feeling of being watched passed over her.

That's when it turned dark.

It was too quick for it to be the sunset, and too dark for it to be a cloud blocking the sun. She hesitated at the door, feeling rather than seeing Cloud and Tifa tense up behind her. She turned to look out the window to see the fog peel back, and darkness rush to fill the empty space. The ash on the ground was turning an inky black color.

She looked up at the sky, trying to see what was going on. She failed, and ash continued to tumble down through the window pane. 

She heard a hiss. A storm had come to life in the form of a sweeping shadow, peeling paint and stone from the interior of the hospital to reveal a worn, beaten and filthy structure underneath. She turned back towards outside to see wooden shutters crashing down in the windows; chimneys crumbled and falling apart; street lights were twisting and crushing until only a dim halo remained.

She watched as the road began to crack. It... it was _dissolving_ , flaking away as easily as the paint had, sucked up into the sky by an invisible force.

The sirens wailed. Beth's heart raced as she quickly turned towards the now grated door, seeing bits and pieces of the room that lie beyond but not enough to see anything clearly.   
  
"Vincent! We gotta go!" She yanked the door open and her breathing stilled as she took in the room in front of her, her eyes widening and spilling over in unstoppable tears. Cloud and Tifa looked at each other and ran towards the stilled woman, Tifa setting an arm on the female, "Beth? Are you-" She looked to the room and her eyes widened as well, her arm going slack, "alright..."   
  
The light was flickering on and off, letting Tifa only see bits and pieces when the light came, but she knew Cloud and Beth saw the whole thing.   
  
Before them was the examination room... an examination room filled with white feathers. The white feathers were coated in blood and if it weren't for a small area of white shining on them they wouldn't have even known they were  _white._  
  
There was a man no older than thirty years old. What once was sleek black hair was a charcoal gray and what once was healthy skin was ashen gray. His hands lay limp at his side as he swung to and fro, his neck at an awkward angle from the noose he was hanging from.   
  
Blood dripped from the man's one white wing and arms to drip onto the fallen white feathers on the ground.  
  
Two words were scrawled across the examination board and from here they knew it was written in blood as even the white feathers stuck onto them.  
  
 ** _YOU'RE NEXT._**  
  
Beth's breathing hitched and she had to cover her mouth from the wave of nausea that hit her. She backed away quickly from the scene, staggering into the hallway and slamming against the grated wall before sliding down to the floor. Her head resting in her hands as her elbows lay on her knees. He was in there. He... he was the only person she knew had those brilliant white feathers.   
  
 _And now those white feathers were soaked in blood._  
  
She knew those words were meant for her and her alone. Not Tifa. Not Vincent. Not  _Cloud_. No. For her.  
  
"I found the keys." Vincent's deep voice cut through the air and Beth felt a slight gust of wind as red appeared in her peripheral vision. A strong smell of leather wafted through her nose and she knew Vincent was knelt before her.   
  
"I told you not to go in there..." he whispered and Beth shook visibly, eyes wide open. If she shut them... if she shut them she would still see the bloody feathers. She could still see his lax body hanging from that noose. And the blood. She will always see the blood.   
  
"What sick person..." Beth whispered and swallowed before speaking again, "Who did that?" She looked up to see the crimson eyes of Vincent Valentine looking at her, worry swirling within them. She doesn't know if she could look at Vincent the same way ever again. His eyes resembled too much of the carnage that lay in the room behind them. What she once thought was unique was quickly turning horrifying. She knew he couldn't help it, but with what she saw.... Vincent realized this and quickly turned his eyes downcast as he cleared his throat, "I... I do not know."   
  
Beth breathed in slowly and stood shakily, using the wall as support as she put as much distance from her and room as possible, "We need to get out of here. Tifa, stay in the middle. It's too dark for you too see."   
  
The group all exchanged glances before following the female, Tifa in the middle with Cloud in front of her and Vincent taking the rear. The gunman took one last glance at the exam room before shutting the door and swiftly following after.   
  
The words were still plaguing Beth's mind as she walked, wondering what it even meant? But she knew something bad would happen. The swirling nausea in her gut told her so.   
  
Something was coming after her. And she had no clue as to what it was. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Work's been kicking my ass and I have way to many stories on here I need to write on. XD
> 
> So here's some of this one! I actually had this saved on my laptop already, but just hadn't gotten around to proofreading it yet until now.


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